JURY SELECTION: Can I Ask Juror to Step Out Into the Hallway to Continue Our Conversation?

The answer is yes I can.
More importantly is WHY I would ask a juror to step out into the hallway to talk.

Here's the scenario...

You sued your doctor claiming that he was careless.
You claim his wrongdoing caused your injury.
You also claim that your injuries are significant and permanent.

Your doctor denies all of your claims.
"I'll see you in court," he says.
Your case takes 2-3 years to get all the way to trial.

The judge tells us to "Go pick a jury," prior to starting your trial.

That means that the jury clerk will select at random 25-30 people from the jury room to go into a small jury selection room. We will initially be speaking with the first six jurors to determine if they can be fair and impartial in your case. Importantly, I want to know if there's anything in their background that would cause them to lean in favor of or against anyone at this point.

You should know that nobody is willingly or voluntarily going to admit that they're biased or prejudiced, especially in front of a room full of strangers. That means we have to ask questions designed to let us know whether a juror is favorable to the defense or to us before they hear any testimony.

Here's an example: "Mr. Jones, do you have any feelings about people who sue their doctor?"
"Do you think that just because a doctor comes into court and says 'I didn't do anything wrong' automatically means they have a good defense?"

Contact Info

To reach Gerry, call him now at 516-487-8207

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